10. (1) A licensing authority shall not grant a licence under section 9 to a person unless it is satisfied that he or she is a suitable person to hold a licence.

(2) In assessing whether a person is a suitable person to hold a licence, the licensing authority may, amongst any other matters, have regard to the following:

(a) whether the applicant is of good character;

(b) any concerns raised by the Authority or the Garda Commissioner or other member of the Garda Síochána regarding the applicant’s suitability to hold a licence;

(c) any convictions for offences (including offences under the enactments mentioned in the Schedule) committed by the applicant, and the extent to which those convictions are of relevance to the activities of the person in respect of providing small public vehicle services or driving a small public service vehicle, as the case may be;

(d) in respect of an application for a licence to drive a small public service vehicle, the health of the applicant and his or her ability to provide small public vehicle services or drive a small public service vehicle;

(e) where the applicant is a company, the suitability or conduct of any director, shadow director, manager, secretary, member entered in the register of the company, other officer or employee of the company any person who has control of the company or any person purporting to act in that capacity regarding the operation of the licence;

(f) where an applicant has previously held a licence, his or her compliance with any obligations applicable to him or her as a licence holder under this Act or regulations under section 34 of the Act of 2003 or section 82 of the Act of 1961.